Lake County ballclub may walk

Fielders threaten to disband in stadium dispute with Zion

The Lake County Fielders take on the Chico Outlaws in game last month at the Fielders temporary stadium in Zion. (Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune photo)

The Lake County Fielders could be days away from disbanding amid squabbles with its host city over rent payments and promises of a completed stadium, a team official said.

The North American Baseball League club said Zion hasn't lived up to promises to complete work on turning a temporary stadium into a permanent home for the team, which is partially owned by actor Kevin Costner. That's made it hard to draw sponsors, advertisers and, to some degree, fans, said team spokesman Bernie DiMeo, noting that those drawbacks have created a money-losing situation for the 2-year-old team.

"We couldn't promise people a permanent stadium," he said. "We can sell tickets, but there would be a lot more enthusiasm if (fans) are sitting in a brand new stadium."

He said disbanding the team was a last resort; if city officials agree to meet and present plans for an improved stadium, the Fielders will continue.

City officials paint a different picture.

The team has missed two rent payments this year, totaling $125,000, and last year bounced a $60,000 rent check, said the city's attorney, Scott Puma. And the contract with Zion that brought the Fielders to town did not promise that the city would build a permanent facility — the agreement was that the city would provide a temporary stadium for the 2010 through 2013 seasons, which would help establish the team, he said.

Zion received $1.3 million in state funding to build the temporary facility, laying the groundwork for a more permanent structure, Puma said. However, additional funding to complete the facility, at Green Bay Road and Illinois Route 173, has yet to become available, he said.

Both Zion and the team had agreed to phase in stadium construction while alternate funding sources were explored, Puma added.

DiMeo said that the city is "using the rent as a smoke screen" in its dispute with the team and that the missed payments were the result of miscommunication — the team did not believe it owed that money because a permanent stadium was not completed, he said.

Earlier this week, the dispute appeared to escalate. Team owner Rich Ehrenreich emailed city officials, suggesting the city buy all tickets to three upcoming home games for $75,000 as a nice gesture to the community, DiMeo said. Ehrenreich also said disbanding the team was a possibility, he said.

If the Fielders were to disband, DiMeo said, the team would try to reimburse season ticket holders.

Zion currently is exploring its legal options and "has no contingency plan" if the team leaves, Puma said.

Ehrenreich has encountered difficulty with another minor league team he owned. Earlier this year, Schaumburg evicted the now-defunct Flyers after the team accrued nearly $1 million in unpaid rent and fees at the village's Alexian Field.